Chapter 2
"That's not enough," Logan said.
He stepped down from the platform and stood right in front of me. "Both knees on the ground. Forehead down. Bow like a real servant."
I looked up at him, the Alpha I'd loved since I was a kid, the man who should have been my Fated Partner.
And now, he was humiliating me in the most degrading way possible.
"Do I need to say it again?" Logan's voice was ice-cold.
I lowered my head and sank to both knees.
I pressed my forehead to the floor.
"Good," Logan said, his eyes glinting with satisfaction as he nodded. "Continue."
Just then, Madeline suddenly let out a startled gasp. "Logan, I'm feeling a little unwell."
He whipped around to face her. "What's wrong?"
"It's just" Madeline murmured, her hand pressed dramatically to her chest. "Maybe Aurora isn't bowing with her whole heart. I can practically feel the resentment rolling off her.
"As Luna, I'm extra sensitive to every emotion in the pack, you know."
Logan's expression turned stormy, his eyes cold and unforgiving.
He spun around and ripped a silver whip from the guard's hands.
"If you can't show real sincerity—"
The whip cracked sharply through the air.
"Let me make sure you never forget this," he said.
The first lash slammed into my back.
Silver is pure poison for us werewolves.
The searing pain tore through me; my skin blistered, and my flesh split open in an instant.
"This one's for disrespecting your Luna," Logan said.
The second lash struck, sharp and merciless.
"This one's for the resentment you dare to hold," Logan continued.
The third lash hit, pain ripping through me.
"And this one's for forgetting your place," Logan finished.
Blood soaked through my clothes.
The pain blurred everything around me, making it hard to stay conscious.
But I gritted my teeth and didn't make a single sound because I knew deep down.
If I begged, Madeline would win.
"Still not enough?" Logan smirked. "Keep going."
As the fourth lash struck, someone finally spoke up. "Alpha, if you keep this up, she's going to die."
It was Lucas Grey, the Beta.
"So what?" Logan said, not even bothering to turn around. "A servant who doesn't know her place deserves to die."
"But—" Lucas tried to say something more.
"That's enough," Madeline suddenly cut in. "Logan, that's enough. I really don't want any blood at the coronation. It's just bad luck."
She played the part of the gentle, thoughtful Luna so well, pretending she was actually pleading for me.
Logan finally halted, his rage spent.
"You get to live today, but only because Luna asked," Logan said.
He tossed the silver whip to the floor.
"Take her away," Logan ordered. "Toss her in the dungeon. No food, no water for three days.
"Let her stew over her mistakes."
Two guards seized me by the arms and hauled me up.
They dragged me out of the hall.
Behind me, the festive music kept playing.
The ceremony continued without a hitch.
To them, it was just one less worthless servant in the room.
No one even batted an eye.
The dungeon was at the very bottom of the castle.
It was damp and dark, the stench of mold hanging heavy in the air.
The guards tossed me into the farthest cell.
"Stay put," one of them said. "If you're still alive in three days, you must be one lucky bastard."
The iron door slammed shut.
I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes.
The wounds on my back were still bleeding.
The silver poison was burning through me, ravaging my body.
But none of that mattered.
In three days, Logan would lose control completely.
And when that happened, he would finally see who his real Fated Partner was.
A bitter, mocking smile twisted on my lips.
Logan would regret this.
*****
There were no windows in the dungeon.
I couldn't tell day from night.
The silver poison kept my wounds from healing.
Every time I moved, it tore at the wounds.
The pain made me break out in a cold sweat.
I lost track of time, but suddenly, the iron door swung open.
I thought it was the guards.
Instead, it was Madeline who walked in.
She walked in wearing a pale blue gown, a food box dangling from her hand.
"Hey, Aurora. I came to see you." Madeline walked in with a sugary smile plastered on her face. "Getting used to your new digs yet?"
I didn't say a word.
"Oh, don't be so cold," Madeline said.
She crouched down right in front of me. "Look, I even went out of my way to bring you some food."
She popped open the food box.
Inside were some fancy pastries and steaming hot soup.
The aroma hit me, making my mouth water.
I hadn't eaten in two days.
My stomach was practically eating itself with hunger.
"Hungry?" Madeline teased, waving the food box temptingly in front of me. "Go on, beg. If you do, I'll give you some."
I turned my face away.
"Whatever, don't eat then," Madeline scoffed.
She stood up and, with a smug flourish, dumped everything from the food box right onto the filthy floor.
Hot soup splattered everywhere.
The pastries were smashed to bits.
"Too bad, the chef made these." Madeline stomped on the food. "But honestly, someone as worthless as you doesn't deserve anything this nice anyway."
I stayed silent.
"Do you really think if you just keep enduring, Logan will ever take you back?" Madeline sneered.
She suddenly leaned in. "Let me tell you, that's never going to happen.
"He's completely obsessed with me now. I'm all he ever thinks about.
"Every morning, the first thing he does is breathe in my scent.
"And every night before bed, he has to hold me in his arms.
"He says my scent calms him, tames the wolf inside him."
Madeline's voice grew more and more smug. "You know, Logan actually does feel something for you."
I looked up at her.
"Oh? Finally got a reaction out of you?" Madeline's grin stretched even wider. "Yeah, he does feel something for you.
"That feeling? Disgust, plain and simple.
"He says every time he sees you, he gets so irritated he just wants to rip you to shreds.
"But he can't even put his finger on why."
She leaned in close, her breath hot against my ear. "Any idea why that is?"
Of course I knew why.
Because his wolf instinctively rejected the fake Fated Partner scent.
His whole body recoiled from Madeline.
That was why he kept clinging to her scent, desperate to convince himself she was the one.
But with me, his true Fated Partner, his wolf just wanted to be near.
His wolf longed for me.
But the witchcraft twisted that longing into nothing but hatred and violence.
"Because fate is punishing you." Madeline stood up. "Because fate is punishing you.
"Punishing you for your pathetic fantasies, for daring to think you could ever deserve him.
"Logan is mine, and he'll always belong to me."